1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a handle apparatus provided inside the vehicle compartment to open the door of the vehicle and lock or unlock the door.
2) Description of the Related Art
Handle apparatuses of vehicle doors usually has a handle lever and a locking knob. A latch mechanism is released and the door can be opened by operating (turning or pulling) the handle lever. The door can be locked by operating the locking knob in a specific direction and can be unlocked by operating the locking knob in another specific direction. When the door is locked, an operation on the handle lever is not conveyed to the latch mechanism so that the door can not be opened. On the contrary, when the door is unlocked, an operation on the handle lever is conveyed to the latch mechanism so that the door is opened.
Japanese Patent Publication No. 3333745 discloses a conventional handle apparatus. In this handle apparatus, a lock operational unit of a locking knob is disposed near on a base of a handle lever in neighboring manner, and they are rotatably born by a common supporting shaft member.
Generally the handle apparatus is provided in a front half of the door. Accordingly, there is a little risk that a passenger unconsciously touches the handle lever or operates the locking knob while the vehicle is running. The passenger can perform the opening/closing of the door or the locking of the door only by stretching his/her hand.
However, due to shocks, for example if the vehicle collides with an object, the passenger can move greatly in the vehicle compartment, and can happen to operate the handle apparatus and open the door or lock the door. If the door is opened while the vehicle is running, it can lead to an accident. On the other hand, it becomes difficult to open the door from outside, for example in an emergency, if the door is locked from inside.